Means for treating yarns

ABSTRACT

A VERTICAL STEAM TUBE FOR DYEING TEXTILE YARNS IS PROVIDED WITH A BUNDLE ELEVATOR UPON WHICH ARE PILED A PLURALITY OF INCOMING YARNS IMPREGNATED WITH DYE LIQUOR. THE YARNS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BUNDLE OR PILE THROUGH AN APERTURE IN THE ELEVATOR, AND THENCE   THROUGH THE BOTTOM END OF THE STEAM TUBE. TWISTING AND TANGLING OF THE YARNS IS REDUCED BY OPERATING THE ELEVATOR INTERMITTENTLY TO MAINTAIN THE TOP OF THE BUNDLE NEAR THE TOP OF THE STEAM TUBE.

Jan. 26, 1971 J. G. TILLOTSON 3,557,582

MEANS FOR TREATING YARNS Filed Feb. 9. 1968 JOHN G. TILLOTSON ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,557,582 MEANS FOR TREATING YARNS John G. Tillotson, Dalton, Ga., assignor to Advance Finishing, Inc., Dalton, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed Sept. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 758,356 Int. Cl. B05c 9/14, 11/24 U.S. C]. 68-19 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vertical steam tube for dyeing textile yarns is provided with a bundle elevator upon which are piled a plurality of incoming yarns impregnated with dye liquor. The yarns are withdrawn from the bottom of the bundle or pile through an aperture in the elevator, and thence through the bottom end of the steam tube. Twisting and tangling of the yarns is reduced by operating the elevator intermittently to maintain the top of the bundle near the top of the steam tube.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of this invention comprises apparatus for the treatment of textile goods, and it concerns more particularly steam tubes used for dyeing a plurality of parallel, independent filaments, strands or yarns, although it may also be used for other operations such as scouring, washing or bleaching.

So-called ]-boxes or J-chutes have been used for many years for heat treating yarns that have been impregnated with dye liquors, for which purpose heat is applied to the yarns in a steam tube by means of steam injected either directly into the tube (also referred to as a box or chute) or into a steam jacket surrounding it. The yarns are fed continuously into the top of the tube and piled or plaited in a mass or bundle supported at a curved lower end of the tube, from which they are withdrawn at a controlled rate to ensure exposure to the elevated temperature for a sufficient period of time to set the dyes.

A wide variety of goods may be treated in the foregoing manner, including slubbings and yarns of plural independent strands of cotton, wool and synthetic fibers. It has been observed that in some cases the yarns become twisted as they fall loosely by gravity through the space above the pile or bundle, especially when the height of the latter is relatively short compared with the height of the steam tube. After the yarns have been withdrawn from the bottom of the tube or as they are being withdrawn, it is often difficult to separate them and the result is a tangled condition that disrupts the continuity of the dyeing operation. Ordinarily, this operation involves continuous operation of a pad mangle or other impregnating apparatus, with continuous feed into and out of the steam tube. T he resulting twisted and tangled condition of the yarns therefore represents a costly element involving machine shut-down and added labor costs.

The U.S. patent to Schwab No. 3,210,967 proposes to reduce entanglement and tearing of slubbings by providing a completely smooth-walled ]-tube. The U.S. patent to Bell No. 2,858,183 discloses an oscillating pot-eye and plaiting wings by which the yarns are more uniformly distributed on the pile or bundle. The U.S. patent to Kauifmann et al. No. 2,391,905 proposes the use of a liquid introduced into the lower portion of a J-chute.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention involves the use of a novel elevator for the pile or bundle of yarns, which supports the same and provides means for controlling the distance between the top of the bundle and the top of the steam tube, regardless of the height of the yarn bundle. By control of the Patented Jan. 26, 1971 position of the elevator within the tube, especially under starting conditions when the bundle is small, it is possible to reduce the twisting and entanglement of the falling yarns, whereby they may be more easily withdrawn from 5 the bottom of the bundle and separated as they leave the steam tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING" FIG. 1 is an elevation in section, somewhat schematic in form, of a steam tube having a bundle elevator in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevation similar to FIG. 1 depicting a different position of the bundle elevator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a steam tube designated generally at 12 and including a smooth-Walled inner tube 14 mounted with its axis vertical, surrounded by a steam jacket 16 fastened to spacers 18 and 20. Steam from a suitable source enters the jacket 16 through a pipe 22, and is exhausted through a pipe 24. These parts are shown in somewhat diagrammatic form as they may be constructed in any well-known manner.

Within the tube 14 is suspended an elevator 26, the elevator being suspended by a cable 28 passing through the top of the tube 14 and around a winch 30. The elevator comprises a tube 32 of round cross section attached to a platform 34 and a spacer 36. The platform and spacer lie at right angles to the axis of the tube 14 and approximately fill its cross section, but are slightly smaller to permit free motion up and down within the tube. The tube 14 may be round, rectangular or of any other desired shape, and it is preferably of uniform cross section.

Within the tube 32 is a rubber plug 38 having a hole 40 passing through it, through which all of the yarns 42 are threaded. The hole 40 is so shaped as to offer a slight frictional resistance to the yarns.

The yarns 42, which are plural in number, are with- 40 drawn from a bobbin 44 or other source and pass over an idler 46 to a pad mangle 48 supplied with a dye liquor. The impregnated yarns then fall by the force of gravity into the upper end of the tube 14, the latter preferably having a conical funnel 50 to direct them toward the central portion of the tube. The yarns fall upon the platform 34 and form a pile or bundle 52.

The yarns are pulled from the bottom of the bundle 52 through the hole 40 in the plug 38 and pass downwardly through the tube 14 and out of the bottom of the tube. Suitable drive means represented by rolls 54 withdraw the yarns from the steam tube at a controlled rate normally equal to the rate at which the yarns are fed into the upper end of the steam tube. The yarns normally remain in the bundle for the period of time reouired for heat treating or setting the dyes.

FIG. 1 shows the apparatus in a position corresponding to start-up of the dyeing operation, when the bundle is small. Initially, the drive rolls 54 are stationary and the bundle 52 is allowed to accumulate with the elevator 26 at or near its upper position. As the pile grows, the elevator is progressively lowered by operation of the winch 30 by hand or by means of a motor. The elevator may be lowered to the limit position depicted in FIG. 2 at which the spacer plate 36 abuts a stop 56 on the tubes.

The normal rate of feeding the yarns into the steam tube and withdrawing the yarns therefrom is a function of the time required for proper exposure to the temperature within the tube. This is adjusted in accordance with usual methods. During the start-up period while the drive rolls 54 are stationary, the pad mangle 48 is operated and the elevator 32 is progressively lowered from the position shown in FIG. 1 as the bundle 52 grows in height.

When the portions of the yarns at the bottom of the bundle have been in the steam tube a sufficient period of time, the drive rolls 54 are started and withdraw the yarns from the steam tube at the same rate at which they are then being fed into the tube, and thereafter the elevator is maintained at a constant position within the tube 14.

If the rates of feeding yarns into or withdrawing them from the tube should be different for any reason, the height of the pile 52 will either grow or become progressively smaller, in which case it may be necessary periodically to adjust the position of the elevator 26. In any case, the elevator is maintained at a position whereby the top of the bundle 52 is close to the top of the tube 14. This minimizes the twisting and tangling of the yarns as they fall upon the top of the pile.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference to dyeing, it will be apparent that it has application to other processes such as scouring, washing and bleaching which also require exposure to treatment temperatures, environments and conditions maintained within the tube 14 in accordance with conventional practice. In general, the invention finds particular utility where a problem of twisting or tangling is likely to occur due to the fact some of the yarns are slacker than other, or for any other reason.

Other adaptations or modifications of the steam tube, as well as other configurations of the elevator which receives and supports the bundle 52, will occur to those skilled in this art and may be employed without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. Means for treatment of textile yarns having, in combination,

a hollow tube supported with its axis substantially vertical,

an elevator within the tube having a platform transverse to said axis and aperture means extending from the space above the platform to the space below it, means to raise and lower the elevator within the tube, treatment liquid impregnating means,

means for feeding a plurality of parallel yarns through said impregnating means and into the top end of said tube, whereby the yarns descend by the force of gravity to and are piled upon said platform,

and means to withdraw said yarns by pulling the same through said aperture means and from the bottom end of said tube, said aperture means being provided with means for resiliently restraining the yarns.

2. Means for treatment of textile yarns having, in combination,

a hollow tube supported with its axis substantially vertical,

tube, whereby the yarns descend by the force of gravity to and are piled upon said platform, and means to withdraw said yarns by pulling the same through said aperture means and from the bottom 15 end of said tube.

3. Means for treatment of textile yarns having, in combination,

a hollow tube supported with its axis substantially vertical, the interior of said tube having a non-buoyant atmosphere,

an elevator within the tube having a platform transverse to said axis and aperture means extending from the space above the platform to the space below it,

treatment liquid impregnating means,

means for feeding a plurality of parallel yarns through said impregnating means and into the top end of said tube, whereby the yarns descend by the force of gravity to and are piled upon said platform,

means attached to the elevator and adapted to apply thereto a force sufiicient to overcome the weight of the elevator and the pile of yarns thereon and to raise and lower the elevator within the tube,

and means to withdraw said yarns by pulling the same through said aperture means and from the bottom end of said tube.

4. The combination according to claim 3, in which the tube is provided with means to heat the yarns.

5. The combination according to claim 3, in which the 40 treatment liquid impregnating means include a dye liquor pad, and wherein the tube has a steam jacket for heating the yarns.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 

